Locomotive stoker



Feb. 27, 1934. D, T. WILLIAMS LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Filed Feb. 16, 1932 BY HIS ATTORN Patented Feb. 27, 1934 unirsi) 'STATES PATENT FFC Application February 16, 1932.

3 Claims.

In a well-known type of locomotive stoker the coal is advanced by screw propelling means to thepoint for delivery to the fire-box of the 1oco motive through a conduit into which it has fallen from the bunker of the tender. The screw means in coaction with the wall of the conduit causes pulverizing of the coal to a state of such neness as that of cinders that involves not only a considerable fuel waste, since the particles are by the draft and without being consumed blown out of the locomotive stack, but such littering of the roadway as to require expensive cleaning of the ballast from time to time.

I aim by this invention to effect the advance of the fuel through the conveying portion of the stoker so as very appreciably to reduce the pulverizing action. This, generally stated, I accompiish by eliminating a quite considerable forward portion of the screw means and substituting therefor a fluid jet. Further, I provide for preventing admission of such quantity of air to the conduit that the same, under the injecting action of the jet, shall not result in delivery of an undue draft to the fire-box, as over the lire f where the stoker delivers above the fire.

In locomotive stokers it is known to form the conduit and propelling means each in sections flexibly coupled together, the coupling of the con- `duit being a bal1-and-socket joint involving interior enlargement of the conduit at such joint. In that form of my invention which is herein specifically shown and described the forward (screw) section of the propelling means is eliminated and the jet substituted, and since without rthe said section the most likely point of congestion of the fuel is where the joint space of the conduit reduces forwardly, or at its outlet, to the normal diameter of the conduit I place the said "jet back of such point and preferably so that it ,j will discharge directly into said space and more particualrly at the intake or relatively rearward side thereof, so that the jet may deliver as nearly as possible lengthwise of the conduit.

My invention consists in the method and also "fthe apparatus hereinafter set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of enough of a stoker embodying the invention to illustrate the same; and

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal horizontal section of a detail.

The locomotive fire-box is indicated at 1, and .at 2 is the coal-bunker of the tender whose bottom outlet 3 is closed by slides (not shown) which Serial No. 593,213

when the bunker is full are all back, leaving a primary forward opening or downtake for initial downward delivery of the coal, but which are one after another drawn forward so that as the coa-l ceases to fall through the opening previously ex- 6o isting a fresh opening is formed for its downward discharge. This is the usual construction.

The conduit is also of the usual construction, that is to say, it extends lengthwise of the locomotive and tender, with its intake portion under the outlet of the bunker, and also substantially horizontally except at its forward portion where it is pitched upwardly, as shown, to deliver to the fire-door 1a of the nre-box; its sections 4 and 5 are respectively carried by the tender and loco- 70 motive and have ball-and-socket portions 4a and 5c forming a iiexible joint more or less coincident with the flexible coupling between the locomotive and tender and itself forming a relatively enlarged space portion of the conduit. (The forward section is itself formed also in two sections connected by a ball-and-socket joint at 5cc, but that is here immaterial.) The conduit is upwardly open or trough-like at its rear end (to wit, for nearly the whole length of rear section 4) to form an intake 30 for the falling fuel and also open at its forward or discharge end, but in other respects it is closed to admission of exterior air in appreciable quantity.

The coal is to be forced forwardly through the conduit and since runofmine or irregularly 35 sized coal is usually used in locomotive stokers its lumps large enough to cause a possible jam must be reduced, wherefore, as well as to break down jams that occasionally might ensue at the point where the fuel begins to travel forward through V the conduit, I employ means of a mechanical (i. e., positive) nature for imparting the initial advancing impulse to the coal upon its entering the conduit. This here also takes a well-known form, being a screw G journaled lengthwise of and in conduit section 5 and driven through gearing 7 from any means (not shown), as a steam engine; and coacting with it to crush the over-large coal lumps is a stationary abutment 8 having rearwardly projecting prongs 8a.

A duct 9 leads from a point which is lateral and exterior of the conduit to its interior, forming a fluid jet preferably arranged as shown at the rear or intake side of the enlarged space portion of the conduit which exists within the ball-andsocket joint between the two main conduit sections, and so as to direct steam or equivalent :fluid forward. Another such duct or jet 10 may be and preferably is arranged in the uptake or inclined portion of the forward section and so as to llo direct the fluid upwardly, or forwardly with reference to the general progress of the coal in the conduit. 11 is a pipe connecting the two jets with the boiler of the locomotive or equivalent source of fluid under pressure.

In operation the coal is mechanically pushed forward by the screw through the trough-like portion or section of the conduit and the jet 9 acts on the forward portion of the thus-pushed mass to propel it forward, jet 10 insuring its being propelled to the point for distribution over the fire, as onto the usual plate 12. Thus the pulverizing of the fuel which characterizes the coaction of a screw in the tubular portion of the conduit is greatly reduced if not substantially completely eliminated, with consequent reduction in large measure of the discharge of unconsumed fuel from the locomotive stack.

Except as to its discharge end and at its intake portion the conduit is closed to appreciable admission of exterior air and when the coal is being advanced the intake portion is also closed by the coal stored in the bunker and overlying the opening through which it falls therefrom.

L Therefore no undesirable draft-in the present intake opening to the tubular section 5, then in a l,bottom of the enlargement.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim is:

1. The combination, with a bunker for fragile material existing largely in lumps, said bunker having a bottom discharge opening, of a conduit having a trough-like section under said open- Bij ing and a tubular section alined with and into which the rst section discharges, said troughlike section being upwardly open substantially to the tubular section, means to advance to the tubular section the material falling into the trough-like section from the bunker including a revoluble screw extending lengthwise and having its uted portion substantially wholly within the latter section, and uid jet means arranged to discharge forwardly into the conduit forward of the fluted portion of the screw section.

2. The combination, with a bunker for fragile material existing largely in lumps, said bunker having a bottom discharge opening, of a conduit having a trough-like section under said opening and a tubular section alined with and into which the first section discharges and having an enlargement of relatively large volume near the trough-like section, said trough-like section being upwardly open substantially to the tubular section, means to advance to the tubular section the material falling into the trough-like section from the bunker including a revoluble screw extending lengthwise of and having its uted portion substantially Wholly within the latter section, and a iluit jet means arranged to discharge forwardly into said enlargement at the side thereof adjoining the trough-like section.

3. The combination, with a bunker for fragile material existing largely in lumps, said bunker having a bottom discharge opening, of a conduit having a trough-like section under said opening and a tubular section alined with and into which the first section discharges and having an interior enlargement of relatively large volume near the trough-like section forming at its forward side a rearwardly facing shoulder, said troughlike section being upwardly open substantially to the tubular section, means to advance to the tubular section the material falling into the trough-like section from the bunker including a revoluble screw extending lengthwise of and having its uted portion substantially wholly within the latter section, and a fluid jet means arranged at the rearward side of said enlargement to discharge forwardly into the latter.

DAVID T. WILLIAMS. 

